Children's Services Act Meeting Minutes

City of Suffolk Children’s Services Act Community Policy and Management Team Meeting Minutes January 18/2023 9:00 am Social Services Building, Third Floor Conference Room Members Present: Mary Bess- Parent Representative Donna Boykin – WTCSB (Chair) Randah Gaitan- Administrative Analyst, City of Suffolk Jenny Hodge – Tidewater Youth Services Commission Kimberly Jennings – 5th District Court Services Unit (Vice Chair) Marli Laudun – Suffolk Health Dept. Rachel Lewis – CSA Coordinator Brandy Miller for Saniyyah Manigault-Westbrook – Suffolk Dept. of Social Services Sheridan Meriwether – The UP Center (Secretary), virtual Members absent: Stephanie Whitley – Suffolk Public Schools 1. The meeting is called to order at 9:14 a.m. by Donna Boykin. 2. Approval of minutes for Nov. 16, 2022 and Dec. 21, 2022 meetings approved - Jenny Hodge moved and Randah Gaitan seconded. All in favor. 3. Rachel Lewis reviewed the Financial Report as of January 18, 2023. Projected expenditures at this time are 1.87 million. This is comparable to previous years. Motion made by Kim Jennings to accept Financial Report as written, seconded by Jenny Hodge. All are in favor and the motion passed. 4. CLOSED SESSION - Donna Boykin entertains a motion to convene a Closed Meeting for the purpose of discussing cases before the Family Assessment and Planning Team in accordance with the provisions in subsection A of ş 2.2-3711 of the Code of Virginia as amended in 2001 and 2005 respectively. Only applicable exceptions as provided in section ş 2.2-3707 or subsection A of Section ş 2.2-3711 are to be discussed. Jenny Hodge motions to enter closed session. Kimberly Jennings seconds motion to enter into closed session. All are in favor and the motion passed. 5. RETURN TO OPEN SESSION – Donna Boykin entertains a motion to move out of Closed Meeting. Kimberly Jennings motions to enter open session. Jenny Hodge seconds the motion. All are in favor and the motion passed. Donna Boykin initiated a roll call certifying that to the best of each member’s knowledge only the following matters were discussed during the closed session: 1) public business matters lawfully exempted from statutory open meeting requirements and 2) public business matters identified in the motion to convene the closed meeting. All Affirmed. 6. Motion to approve all cases presented. Kim Jennings enters the motion, seconded by Jenny Hodge. All are in favor and the motion passed. Total amount approved: $60,007.00. 7. Old Business A. ARPA Mental Health Grant/Community Violence Initiative Update– Committee members last met on December 14, 2022. The Community Violence Survey was finalized and the committee voted on a soft run of 100 surveys to be taken into the communities of Suffolk by Mr. Jones and his organization members for feedback. The committee will receive an update at the January 2023 meeting which is now scheduled for Jan. 31 at 1 pm. Mr. Brown of Suffolk Public Schools and Major Bouie of the Suffolk Police Department joined the meeting to discuss concerns within the city and schools along with upcoming changes. Ms. Lewis will send email reminders about the meeting. Also mentioned was that Narendra Pleas, commonwealth attorney, was having a forum on 2/23 at 6 pm at St. Paul’s Church on Spruce St. This will be an opportunity to hear from the community. B. Truancy Meeting – follow up – Rachel Lewis stated that the meeting took place on January 10, 2023. Discussion regarding truancy process and collaboration. Action items. Petition items re: filing on parent; mapping out steps and visual graph to display parent progression regarding truancy. Saniyyah Manigault – Westbrook will research if court liaison allowed to attend truancy hearings on Thursdays. Multidisciplinary truancy meetings will return to in – person in February 2023 at the courthouse due to impact being more vital. Challenge with all schools completing same process. No follow up meeting scheduled at this time. C. Follow up – FAPT Parent Representative (tabled from January)– Brandy Miller representing DSS for Saniyyah, prefers that case should be heard by a different agency/locality due to potential conflict of interest. Rachel Lewis would assist with coordinating meeting with Chesapeake CSA office and participate as a representative of Suffolk CSA. Second option would be for Mary Bess to sit in as a Parent Representative while case is being presented. Suffolk DSS requested that case be staffed by another locality. Next Suffolk FAPT scheduled for February 2, 2023. Jenny Hodge motions to move forward with addressing the perceived conflict of interest of the FAPT Representative. Brandy Miller seconds the motion. All in favor. CPMT members to follow up with notification. D. Follow up Team Discussion re: Decision making (tabled from January): – Previous discussion regarding a facilitator coming in to assist with decision making. Kimberly Jennings, CPMT practices healthy dialogue while decision making with healthy conflict. Marli Laudun in agreement with Kimberly. If a decision comes up that a decision made is contradicting the previous decision, Rachel Lewis will notify CPMT within a timely manner. E. Private Day Timelines – review with more information – Rachel Lewis researched and learned some schools do not permit students to attend school without physicals and required documentation. Sarah Allen struggling with Sussex County. CPMT has decision to create a policy to assist with Suffolk Public Schools. Training with school social workers on 01/28/2023 with Rachel Lewis. Several students currently attending private day programs; however, unable to provide financing without referral information from school system. Tabled discussion for February meeting.  F. Items from Members – There were no items presented. 8. New Business A. Press Release: Gov. Youngkin Launches Prompt Placement Task Force (enclosure) – Rachel Lewis, initiative to deal with crisis of TDO’s. Extensive wait times to receive placement. Appears to be the same objectives as Project BRAVO (6 Pillars). B. CQI Data Review summary from October meeting – additional review and consideration of Benchmarks/Objectives (enclosure – Rachel Lewis, discuss continuation and/or revision of goals/objectives. Rachel Lewis will create a draft based on today’s discussion. C. Items from Members (updates from members agencies) – Rachel Lewis, staffing losses at Suffolk DSS. Glynda Branch is no longer with Social Services, CPMT fiscal agent. Kimberly Jennings, received letter from Chesapeake DJJ that they will no longer receive their youth effective January 31, 2023. Jenny Hodge, TYC attempting to reopen Crisis Stabilization to assist with DJJ issues. D. Adjourn – CPMT adjourned the meeting at 12:12PM. Motion to adjourn made by Kimberly Jennings, seconded by Jenny Hodge. All are in favor and the motion passed. Recorded by Rachel Lewis, CSA Coordinator, and Sheridan Meriwether, Secretary.